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Violence and Disabled Women

The report describes the situation of women with disabilities who are abused, analyzes various types of violence, describes general policies combatting violence against women with disabilities in Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Spain, and offers policy recommendations. It was carried out under the METIS project, European Unión DAPHNE initiativ. Internet publication URLs: www.independentliving.org/docs1/iglesiasetal1998.html (In English) and and www.independentliving.org/docs1/iglesiasetal1998sp.html (In Spanish).

The following report shows a general view
of an old existing problem, though quite unknown, which affects an important
number of disabled women; that of being the object of violent actions.

It has been structured as to accomplish
two objectives:

-To make the public in general aware of
a complex situation, so that the dimension and fundamental characteristics are
known.

-As an element of thought to those who bear
the intervention and planning tools of this topic in their hands.

The classification of the types of violence
mentioned is particularly interesting, and can be useful to professionals who
work in the fields of disability and/or attention to women who suffer maltreatment,
due to the fact that the majority of the violent actions against disabled women
are not generated nor shape up in the same way when inflicted against women
without disability

The contributions of the organisations from
the four countries of the European Union, partners in the METIS Project (framework
of this study), regarding this topic are also enclosed. The organisations are:
DANISH WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES (DWD) from Denmark, AUTONOM LEBEN, from Germany,
Forum women and Disability, from Sweden, and the Association Initiatives and
Social Studies (IES) from Spain, promoter of the project. Each contribution
focuses on a different aspect of the same problem but they all share a common
point, the fact of the prevalence of an unfair situation, which this report
highlights regardless of the degree of culture or socio-economical index of
the country.

Finally, a number of suggestions that arise
from the study are given with the aim of contributing to a social debate and
further study of a problem a great number of women live with.

The scope of this report is quite modest,
if we bear in mind how much more is yet to be done. Although there is little
knowledge about the topic, this report could become an important point of reference,
because it attempts to gather and organise the remote and scattered information
available today.

In order to elaborate this report, information
was collected from various entities, public and/or private, as well as from
experts in the field of women, violence or disability. Amongst them we wish
to thank.

The office of the People's Valiant, for the monographic
on "Violence against women at home".

The Women's Institute, for data regarding the present
situation of violence against women in Spain.

The documentation centre of the Women's Institute, Ministry
of Labour and of Social Affairs of Spain, for its studies on women with disability
and violence.

The IMSERSO, for its programme of actions within the
Spanish territory.

The Ministry of Interior, for data on the situation of
violence in Spain.

The 15 European experts in violence (Observatory Of The
European Policy Action Centre On Violence Against Women).

The Galician Service of Equal Rights; for the programmes
of actions and data within the Galician community.

The Working Group on Women and Disability within the
European Disability Forum.

Disability is a relevant social matter,
and we know that the number of people affected by it grows day by day. It is
said that 10% of Europe's population suffers from some type of disability. Some
international studies, (PNUD, 1992) consider that the figure is as high as 20%
in developing countries. Despite the fact that the number of people with disabilities
is so high, in many fields they are treated as "invisible citizens".

When we talk about women, the situation
of "invisibility" is even greater, though there are about 250 million
women in the world with some type of disability.

Forming part of two disadvantaged and minority
groups (disabled people, and within these "women"), they find themselves
up against a double discrimination, as well as various barriers which make accomplishing
objectives essential in everyday life very difficult. Higher unemployment rates,
lower salaries, less access to medical care, lack of education, poor or no access
to programmes and services aimed at women, and a higher risk of suffering physical
and/or sexual abuse are just some of the social aspects which women with sensorial,
physical or mental disabilities must face.

This discrimination is the worsening of
the age-old discrimination women have always suffered, more severe but harder
to fight, which affects aspects such as education, employment, marriage, family,
economical status, rehabilitation...

Education

Many disabled women are deprived of their
rights as citizens, and in this way society is also deprived of their abilities
and knowledge, when their access to education is prohibited or restricted. Due
to the traditional views of women's roles, it is even more difficult to convince
society, not to mention many families, that their disabled daughters must receive
education in a normal way, as far as possible. In many societies it is understood
that women do not need education, and if in addition they are disabled, the
encouragement they receive from their family to obtain a normal education is
practically non-existent, and as a result the level of illiteracy in disabled
women is higher than in disabled men.

Employment

It is quite obvious that the lack of education
and qualification in disabled women make their chances of earning money and
improving their situation almost null. There are few expectations in relation
to the professional possibilities of disabled women. Those that do have jobs
are exploited and underpaid.

Of the 40 million disabled people of the European Union,
almost 50% are at the age of active workers. In the member countries of the
E.U. that have relevant data, it is not foreseen that this percentage will
vary within the next 25 years.

Approximately 17% of the E.U's population at working
age suffer some disability.

Even contemplating the difference between countries,
the ratio of employment of disabled people in the E.U. is 44%, as opposed
to 61% on the whole.

Data referring to the E.U. shows that percentage of employment
in men without disability is 76% versus 36% in disabled men. Regarding women,
the percentages vary from 55% in non-disabled to 25% in disabled women.

Women workers with disabilities are financially worse-off
than disabled men who work.

Health

Disabled women are among the group which receive the most
medical care. Studies done on specific groups (autistic, for example) show that
they are more inclined to remain in institutions for longer periods of time
than men.

There are a lot of barriers that make access to birth
control and family planning very difficult, such as physical barriers, communication
barriers etc.

In hospitals disabled women are used as models for trainee
doctors, without previously asking them for their permission. Videos and slides
are taken of disabled women to be used as teaching aids without any control
over their use.

Marriage and family.

Here, too, the majority of disabled women
are also discriminated, as from the outset women are judged by their physical
looks and not by their qualities as human beings. Disabled women do not meet
the set standards, and their sexuality is barely recognised. The possibility
of being considered asexual, and therefore of being deprived of their right
of bringing up a family, childbirth, adoption, and housekeeping, etc, is directly
proportional to how evident the disability is. There are permanent debates on
the role women are supposed to play, and that assigned to disabled persons.
As a result, while women in general are pressured by society to motherhood,
disabled women are forced into not having children, and this many times leads
to unauthorised sterilisation, or denial of adoption on the basis of the "incapacity
of the mother" to take care of them adequately. A consequence of this situation
(verified, at the moment, only by the experience and knowledge of this organisation)
is that the number of couples where the disabled partner is a woman is much
lower as compared to where the disabled partner is a man.

Self-perception and social image.

The key to understanding the phenomenon
of violence against disabled women is in the image society has of them, as well
as how they see themselves. For this reason, we have gone into further detail
of this in the following.

The level of personal satisfaction a woman
has depends a lot on how well she fits into the image society has given to the
female body. Along these lines, being fat or overweight is unacceptable, while
being thin relates to success. But this is, for many women, impossible to achieve.
Apart from these physical qualities, we must add other characteristics culturally
accepted as ideal in women and that rarely appear in disabled women, or in those
who have had different experiences or have a "different" appearance,
all of which exclude them from the rest of the group.

The ideals and guidelines of beauty defined
by the dominant culture are shown in publicity and are interpreted as socially
desired, provoking the need to change or alter imperfect bodies. The message
is clear; "The way our bodies are now is undesirable and unacceptable".
The ideal is to be non-disabled, closely followed by the necessity to obtain
"a perfect body"

Disabled women are not free from the influence
of the language of advertising, when it comes to the "mental sculpturing"
of their bodies. We know what is desirable or not in a woman's body and we make
comparisons. Disability is seen as a "deficit" and the "ideal"
imposed is far from reach. These messages become ingrained, and a comparison
is established between the standards of beauty and the image these women have
of themselves, which will probably lead to a lowering of their self-esteem.

This self-esteem is questioned or confirmed
by the family and friends from the outset, sometimes from childhood. This is
the beginning of a process of evaluation, comparison of the body and of the
beauty standards. At the same time, as a result of the perception others have
of disability, the traditional roles assigned to women are neglected or limited.
Not being able to fit in the mould assigned as "beautiful or good looking"
limits the possibilities of having intimate relations, highlights the physical
differences, and influences negatively in the perception we have of our body.
Therefore a disabled woman ends up seeing her disability as something negative
because among other things it reduces her possibilities of a relationship and
of social consideration. All this due to the fact that she cannot meet certain
standards or carry out certain predetermined roles and as a consequence her
life takes on a sense of invisibility. They are excluded from activities according
to age and sex; they are not considered for the role of brides, mothers or wives,
they cannot accede to jobs where physical appearance is highly exhibited, etc,
On the other hand, everyday activities such as studying, cooking, personal hygiene,
etc, which are, in the non-disabled, considered normal and routine, are given
an exaggerated importance, or distorted portraits are created to depict extraordinary
lives, featuring heroic and romantic feats of personal overcoming.

The lack of expectations with regards to
personal planning in disabled women and not meeting the characteristics which
define a social role confuse other people even further when trying to establish
a relationship. This fact leads in many cases to either the reluctance of entering
the relationship or to do so with the attitude of "not knowing what to
do" when faced with what they believe is a "different person."
This attitude generates confusion in the disabled woman, or what is even worse,
fear, a feeling of insecurity, and a negative self-evaluation.

In some way, the perception of our body
gives us an idea (consciously or unconsciously), of our future possibilities
of development, from a personal, social and economical point of view. There
is a relationship between the body and the expectations of personal evolution.
This aspect has been studied by feminist groups, identifying a woman's body
as an object of domination and pleasure for men, which mark women's expectations
in life and relationships. In this way, the image a woman has of her body can
be distorted. We are taught to like or dislike our own experience on the basis
of the concepts of desire and agreement we receive from others. Within this
context our body becomes a element of exchange with which we can obtain better
conditions, opportunities, security, etc, or the exact opposite may occur when
one does not match this accepted and ideal model. Finally, the feminist analysis
ends up identifying the alienation of women with the way in which her body is
seen as an object.

Nevertheless, this feminist conclusion may
not be accurate when applied to disabled women, because they are hardly seen
as "women".

Their body also becomes an object, for the
purpose of domination, but within a different context. Daily routines, which
could be sensual and erotic, such as getting undressed, become awkward actions
that arouse curiosity, and are undesirable in a disabled woman. Many disabled
women have a large spent part of their lives nude, exposed to the eyes of the
professionals that take care of them. These professionals never felt the need
to ask for permission. In many cases, their bodies have also been exhibited
in videos, medical magazines, etc without consent. This kind of control, experienced
from childhood, has psychologically marked many women, who feel that their body
is not desirable nor has the charm to be seen if not on a hospital bed. And
so, in many cases the need to change the body arises, and this change may take
different forms ranging from simply hiding it, to aesthetic transformations,
and mutilations. The objective is clear; a disabled body is not within the beauty
standards, it is neither desirable nor acceptable and therefore a way out must
be found. The solution is generally traumatic for women. As a result, a close
relationship between self-perception, physical image and self-esteem is established.

What
do we understand by violence?

Up to this point we have made a typical
draft portrait, to which most disabled women could feel identified to some extent.
The key characteristics shown here will contribute to creating a general view
of the people and of their life circumstances to which we will refer to later
on in this report.

Placed in the referential frame of the subject
population, it is also important to set the conceptual and philosophical frame
in which this study evolves.

Various institutional declarations and a
good number of documents dealing with this topic consider violence against women
as a crime and a violation against human rights. Along these lines, The World
Organisation against Torture says that certain types of violence are specific
against women. They are based on, and generally caused by, the lack of equality
between men and women. They bear characteristics that increase violence and
that have to do with, origin, status, age, sexual preference, culture and the
level of education.

It would be good to point out, as a reminder,
the definition of violence gathered in the report of the Fourth World Conference
on Women, the basic reference document for further legislative development,
declarations etc., as a basis of this report.

"D. Violence against women.

112. Violence against women
is an obstacle towards equality, development and peace. Violence against
women violates and underestimates or impedes her benefit of human rights
and fundamental liberties. The inveterate incapacity to protect and promote
these rights and liberties in the cases of violence against women is a problem
in which all nations are involved and which demands that measures must be
taken. Since the Conference of Nairobi, the knowledge of the causes, consequences
and reach of this violence has been considerably broadened, as well as the
measures to bring it to an end. In every society, to greater or minor extent,
women and girls are subject to maltreatment in physical, sexual or psychological
aspects, with no distinction being made with regards to their income, social
class, or education. Belonging to lower classes and facing economic difficulties
may be a cause as equally as a consequence of the violent attacks women
suffer.

113. The expression "violence against women"
refers to any violent act based on the kind that results in possible or
real physical, sexual or psychological harm, including threats, coercion,
arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private
life." (1)

In the light of this definition of violence,
the conclusion reached is that not only the obvious, bloody, physical aggression
of stabbing or beating is to be considered violence, but also any action that
violates human rights. That is to say, any action that affects one's freedom,
personal development, well-being, privacy, or other, where any person would
be permitted to feel protected by the basic civil rights. This will be the conceptual
framework on which this report is based.

Causes,
origins and consequences

Gender based violence is a repeated personal
experience in a great number of women throughout their lives. to violent Though
there are differences in how violence takes shape depending on culture, social
standing, etc, there are a lot of constant elements that prevail and give a
universal condition acts.

It generally takes place at home, within
the family circle, and is perpetuated by the closest relatives. A blend of tolerance
and the privacy of the act of violence when it takes place against a woman makes
it invisible or difficult to detect, unless we introduce ourselves into the
private lives of people. We are talking about cruel actions, which go from genital
mutilation in some cultures, to physical, emotional abuse and economical exploitation
in others. These are all types of violence that many women have encountered
throughout their lives, but unfortunately these are just a few examples of the
many shapes violence can take.

In various forums, legislators have stated
(based on the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment) that the consequences that domestic violence causes
in women is to be considered as a kind of torture. Within the context of respect
to human beings and human integrity, torture is defined as (a) it causes severe
physical and/or mental pain, it is (b) intentionally inflicted, (c) for specified
purposes and (d) with some form of official involvement, whether active or passive.
Therefore, domestic violence becomes a type of aggression with the same entity
of any type of known and condemned torture. This type of violence against women
"matches" the definition of torture not only because of the intentions
that provoke it - punishment, intimidation, control, destroying one's personality
- but also because of the final outcome, which can, in some cases, result in
death.

Various explanations have been given for
why women are subject to violence more frequently than men. There seem to be
determining elements such as belonging to broken homes, a poor development in
social and communicative abilities, lack of financial resources required to
become independent, etc. Although these are factors associated to the personal
experience of maltreated women, they do not explain the origin, which is simply
that maltreatment starts off as a very efficient means of gaining control over
the other person.

The explanations to why a maltreated woman
continues living in the same house as her aggressor are as complex as the causes
that provoke the attacks. Nobody, no matter how low her esteem is, or how many
messages she has received saying that she deserves no better treatment, is born
to serve, etc., No one seeks nor wants to stay within a situation of violence.
The explanation is found in fear, fear of being persecuted, of losing custody
of children, economic dependency, etc.

There are three principal obstacles when
a woman decides to abandon this situation.

Lack of financial resources.

Most women have children who
are financially dependent on them. The majority are unemployed.

Many women do not own properties.

Some women have no access
to their money or bank accounts.

Abandoning home implies a
lowering of self-esteem in her eyes and those of her children.

The response from institutions is inadequate.

The traditional interventions
carried out by many professionals consider that the primary aim is to
save the marriage as opposed to stopping the violence.

Police rarely give support
to maltreated women. Violence is treated more as "a domestic dispute"
than as a crime where one person is physically attacked.

Police may even try to dissuade
women from bringing charges against their aggressor.

Judges rarely impose maximum
sentences; a small fine is more common.

There are not enough safe shelter
homes for maltreated women.

Prevention and the capacity
to convince the aggressor to not repeat the attacks are non-existent.

Traditional beliefs:

Many women believe that divorce
is not a viable alternative.

Some women believe that a single
parent family is not acceptable, and that a violent father is better than
no father at all.

There is a common belief that
a failure in marriage is a failure as a woman.

Many women become strangers
to their friends and family due to their partner's jealousy or in order
to hide signs that could denounce violence. Isolation makes them feel
there is no one to turn to for help.

Many women try to rationalise
the aggressor's behaviour through factors such as stress, alcohol, trouble
at work, unemployment, etc.

Many women have been taught
that their identity depends on "getting and keeping" a man by their side.

The aggressor rarely attacks
the woman on a constant basis. During the "no aggression" periods, he
can even be loving and caring. This makes the woman maintain the relationship.

Social acceptance (though on
the decrease, to be honest) of this violent behaviour in men has resulted
in the lack of sentences proportional to the crime committed, even the
existence of the accepted recognition of man as an aggressor within his
own environment.

Reports from various institutions widely
recognise the fact that women are more vulnerable to abuse and maltreatment
than men. In Spain as well as in other countries of the European Union it is
estimated that 40% of the female population suffer maltreatment.

Along these same lines, we can find data
from specific studies carried out in various counties of the E.U., as well as
America in particular, that show how disabled people are the victims of abuse
on a far greater scale than non-disabled (the ratio varies from two to five
times more).

The confluence of all these factors in disabled women, especially
in those who have severe deficiencies, learning or communication difficulties,
converts them into a group with an extremely high risk of suffering some type
of violence. The percentages of maltreatment far exceed those of non-disabled
women. (2)

Apart from the violent acts clearly typified
as such, we must add more subtle ones, which stem from discriminating attitudes.
Discrimination due to greater or minor physical or intellectual capacity of
people is an act of violence in itself, and this generates frustration and violence
in the person that suffers it. If we add to this discrimination on the grounds
of gender, we are increasing the aggression and violence against disabled women
to intolerable levels, to the same degree and manner as if we hide or ignore
this situation. This lack of information reverts negatively on the victims themselves
and on the professionals responsible for information and care services for maltreatment
victims or disabled persons.

We can state a wide range of factors to
explain this situation such as:

The concept of maltreatment varies.

Difficulties to recognise as signs of maltreatment circumstances
which are associated as "natural" to the condition of disabled women.

Difficulties to identify as maltreatment some situations
defined in this Guide as physical abandoning or psychological cruelty.

The lack of credibility given to a women with learning
or communication difficulties.

Society has moral difficulties to admit that a disabled
woman has been object of violence or abuse.

Methodological divergences when the cause and consequences
of violence against women are analysed.

This mayor exposure to situations of violence possibly comes
from attitudes and considerations towards women emerged from a masculine society,
added to certain conditions due to disability itself, such as:

The fact of being less capable of self defence (physical).

Greater difficulties to report maltreatment due to difficulties
in communicating.

Difficulties in accessing information and counselling
places, due mainly to architectural and communication barriers.

A lower self-esteem and disregard of their image as women.

The contradiction between the assignment of traditional
roles to women with the lack of these roles in disabled women.

A greater amount of dependence on other people for care.

Fear of reporting the abuse, as it might cause the breaking
of bonds and loss of special care.

Having to live in environments that favour violence:
broken homes, institutions, residences and hospitals.

Less credibility when reporting these attacks in certain
institutions.

The women that suffer the most severe and
frequent attacks are those with a multiple-disability, problems in mental development,
problems in communication, and those disabled from birth.

But, above all these circumstances that lead to ignorance
and disregard of the situation, is the fact of discrimination and a heavy
social prejudice towards disabled women. (3)

We have made previous reference to the cultural,
religious, etc component which determines the way in which people, more specifically
disabled women, are perceived by society. That is, as imperfect, dependent and
weak beings. If we add to this portrait the taboos and motivations that surround,
for example, sexual abuse, we find powerful elements that permit the situation
of aggressions, mainly against women, to continue.

In an attempt to explain why there is a
general tendency to maltreat and abuse these women, D. Sobsey (1990) identified
various myths with which society has surrounded people that do not fit in the
common pattern of a "normal" being. So the myth of ""dehumanisation"
portrays disabled people as beings in a "vegetative state" and therefore
members of an inferior society. Any violation or abuse committed against these
persons is not considered in the rapist's mind as a crime of the same magnitude.

The myth of "damaged merchandise"
is closely associated with the concept of dehumanisation as it considers the
disabled person as a faulty article. Arguments, such as the justification of
euthanasia or sacrifice of these beings in "general interest", are
based on the myth. In this case, the life a disabled person is not worth living,
and so nothing is lost with his/her death. This could be the reasoning of a
rapist or aggressor when choosing a victim, as to lower his degree and feeling
of guilt.

The myth of "feeling no pain". Many
persons with emotional or mental disabilities are described as being insensitive
to pain. For some unthinkable reason, a rapist can believe that as these persons
"understand less" they also "feel less". On the contrary,
there is research that proves that a person with any degree or type of disability
suffers a greater emotional trauma as the consequence of abuse than any other
victim (Vernon & Scanlan, 1987).

The myth of "disabled menace". Many
times, people with some type of physical, sensorial or mental disability are
seen as dangerous and as a threat to society. This tends to be a manner in which
the aggressor rationalises his behaviour stating that it was not him but the
victim who carried out the attack.

The myth of "helplessness".
This is the perception of vulnerability of those who need other people's help
in their daily lives. This is an element of choice of the victim, habitually
used by the abuser. It comes from the victimised and weaken image that society
promotes of disabled persons.

The following classification of different
types of violence is based on declarations made within the frame of respect
to human rights and non-violence. Starting from these definitions, we believe
that a wider approximation to the different situations of violence and abuse
that disabled women are liable to suffer is possible.

When trying to classify the different shapes
that violence against women can adopt, we must bear in mind two types of violence:
"active violence" when the person that commits the aggression participates
actively, and "passive violence" when an action is left undone (omitted).
Furthermore there are signs that can indicate evidence of possible situations
of violence.

ACTIVE VIOLENCE

The epicentre of active violence is in carrying
out the abuse on the victim. This category is formed by other categories such
as:

physical
abuse
emotional sexual
or economical abuse

PASSIVE VIOLENCE

In the category of "passive violence" we
find:

physical
neglect
emotional neglect

ACTIVE VIOLENCE

The following is a brief description of
the different kinds of active violence that can be performed against disabled
women in their habitual environment, as well as the way they are usually practised.

· Physical abuse:

Any direct or indirect action that can damage
the life, welfare or health of disabled women, provoking pain, unnecessary suffering
or health deficiency.

Behaviour model that results from damage
to the welfare and emotional balance of a disabled woman.

Manifestations:

Isolation, prohibiting or limiting the access to means
of communication (phone, mail..), to information and to keep in contact with
other relatives and neighbours.

Oral cruelty, by means of insults, constant criticism,
making fun of their body, punishments in the presence of others.

Over protection.

Speaking, deciding or giving opinions in her name.

Intimidation, and /or emotional blackmail.

Alert Signs:

Depression.

Communication and interrelation difficulties.

Insecurity, and low self-esteem.

Sexual abuse:

Actions that are a sexual aggression towards
disabled women, and can produce physical or emotional harm.

Manifestations:

Rape.

Sexual vexation or humiliation.

Alert Signs:

Marks or/and injuries in genitals.

Fear to relate with certain people.

Undesired pregnancies.

Venereal diseases.

Economical abuse:

Actions that pursue the loss of control
and rights on properties, money or family shared inheritances. The use of the
image of a disabled woman against her will, to gain money for third persons,
is also considered economic abuse.

Limiting the access to information and management of
personal economy.

The use of money as a sanction.

The family denies the access to external economic resources
(jobs, grants..).

Alert Signs:

Depending too much on others.

Little expectations regarding herself and her personal
or professional projection.

PASSIVE VIOLENCE

The expression "passive violence"
refers to those actions that by being left undone or by refusing to do them
can provoke physical or psychological harm.

Physical neglect:

It is understood as such, the denial or privation of the
basic aspects to keep the body in good shape, in relation
with health, hygiene and image.

Manifestations:

Negligence in feeding.

Personal carelessness.

Neglecting hygienic measures.

Lack of supervision.

Alert Signs:

Malnutrition.

Frequent illnesses not caused by disability.

Inadequate cloths regarding sex, climate, and the persons'
handicaps.

Dirty clothes.

Long periods of time without supervision.

Physical problems worsen due to lack of treatment.

Emotional neglect:

Those actions that deny or deprive attention,
consideration and respect towards disabled women.

Manifestations:

Ignoring their existence.

Giving no value to their opinion.

Feeling ashamed about them.

Alert Signs:

Lack of interaction.

No motivation concerning their personal development.

Scarce or no participation in family or social activities.

It is important to point out that in most cases, the conditions
given by their own disability make it difficult to report the violent attack
by the victims themselves. So may the associations of people with disabilities,
professionals and society in general, be the echo of this problem and also give
the voice of alarm about these violent practises against these women.

It is important to remember the statements
pronounced by the United Nations in relation to Universal Rights, with the intention
to prove how violent attacks against disabled women are a transgression of the
principles gathered in these statements.

In 1975, this international organisation
tried to draw people's attention to how serious gender violence is; in fact,
the UN declared it as a clear attack against women's rights. Later, in 1993,
the General Assembly of the UN approved the Declaration concerning the Elimination
of Violence Against Women, where it was clearly stated as a violation of
Human Rights.

The UN define violence against women as:

"Any act of gender-based violence that results in,
or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering
to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation
of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life."
(4)

Other references made later support the
idea of considering violence not only as an act of physical aggression, but
also of psychological and sexual harm.

In the Resolution of the Commission of Human
Rights "The elimination of violence against women" (1997 /44) the particular
vulnerability to violence of female minority groups is highlighted.

This Resolution states that "some
groups of women, such as those who belong to minority groups, refugees, and
natives, (...) disabled women (...) are especially vulnerable to violence."

Adding that it is necessary:

" (for the governments) to guarantee
the access of disabled women to information and services within the area
of violence against women."

In the UN Standard Rules on the on Equalisation
of Opportunities for

Persons with Disabilities (General
Assembly of the UN, 1993), Rule number 9. - Family life and individual integrity,
it is said:

"Persons with disabilities and their
families need to be fully informed about taking precautions against sexual
and other forms of abuse. Persons with disabilities are particularly vulnerable
to abuse in the family, community or institutions and need to be educated
on how to avoid the occurrence of abuse, recognise when abuse has occurred
and report on such acts."

In the same document, Rule number 15.2
insists on:

"Legislative action may be needed
to remove conditions that may adversely affect the lives of persons with
disabilities, including harassment and victimisation."

When referring to violence, we include within
its definition actions that deal with the violation of human rights. The present
conceptions of violence against disabled women are establishing y founding more
policies and intervention programmes day by day. However, this has not always
been the case, as the interpretation of what was a violation against human rights
on international grounds was more limited, and above all it did not question
the interventions of governments.

The governments' responsibility in the prevention
of abuse in the private circles of its citizens has contributed to nurture the
idea that the violation of human rights in this ambit must also be persecuted.

"States may also be responsible for private acts
if they fail to act with due diligence to prevent violations of rights or
to investigate and punish acts of violence, and for providing compensation."
(5)

In the European sphere, the first to make
reference to the problem of violence against women was the European Parliament
in 1986, focussing on sexual attacks and on aggressions in private circles.

In 1997, the Resolution A4-0250/97, referring to the European
Campaign on Zero Tolerance to Violence against Women, (6) was adopted. This
resolution, considers that male violence against women at home, in the work
place, in society, includes all maltreatment, physical and mental aggressions
against them.

So based on articles1, 3,and 5, of the Universal
Declaration of Human rights, it denounces that any form of violence against
women which implies a threat to her life, freedom o personal safety, or may
constitute torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment goes against the principles
of this Universal Declaration. Consequently the state members that do not apply
an adequate policy to prevent and persecute violence against women are failing
to fulfil their international duties in relation with this Declaration.

On the other hand, in 1990, the Board of
Ministers of the European Council informed member states of Resolution 2 , which
makes reference to Social Measures regarding "Violence within the Family".

The European Commission considers Equal
rights between Men and Women a basic principal to democratic systems and the
respect of individuals. In order to put this principle into practice, the Commission
has developed specific programmes since 1980, trying to stimulate the member
states to promote actions aimed towards strengthening it.

In 1996, the Fourth Action Programme on
Equal Rights for Men and Women was launched and incorporated this principle
among the policies and activities of the Commission.

The European Conference on Equal Rights
for Men and Women, celebrated by the European Council in Rome (1993) and the
World Conference on Human Rights celebrated in Vienna in 1993, insisted on the
fact that human rights have their origin in the dignity and value of human beings,
this being the case women's rights cannot be separated from them. Therefore,
violence, any type of pursuit and sexual exploitation practised against women,
are violations and attack against these rights.

Apparently, there is an international recognition
of the situation, and public institutions and society in general are urged to
take an active role towards the prevention and elimination of violence.

However, there are no explicit references
to the specific situation of the experiences of violence in the field of disabled
women.

On the other hand, associations of disabled
people are also pointing out its importance. The "Manifesto of Disabled
Women in Europe" (European Disability Forum, 1998) states the existence
of violence against disabled women:

"...Violence against disabled
girls and women is a major problem and statistics show that disabled girls
and women are probably victims of violence because of their vulnerability."

This is a document of reference for the
construction of general policies and it gathers a number of principles and proposals
including the elimination of all types of violence.

" 7. Violence, sexual abuse and security.

The right of disabled girls and women to be free
of violence should be fully recognised. Violence against disabled girls
and women is a major problem and statistics show that disabled girls and
women are more likely to be victims of violence because of their vulnerability.
The guarantee of protection against physical and sexual violence must be
available to disabled. This is very important particularly for disabled
women who have to stay in hospitals, rehabilitation and other institutions.
And also for those who cannot represent themselves." (7)

Denmark
By Solveig Hansen

DANISH WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES (DWD)

In spring 1998 we could read on the front
page of a newspaper:

"Denmark is the only Nordic country that till now
has ignored that violence could also be linked with sexual character. The
chairwoman of social- and health-committee in the Danish Parliament wants
to establish centres in four towns that can help women who have been victims
of e.g. sexual violence. The first should be in a hospital in Copenhagen-area".
(8)

Till now women have had to go to the police
and the excuse for not having centres has been that there were "not
enough women". The idea of establishing centres was also raised in
1987, but with no effect so far. "The economical argument is not a good one",
says a former chief-psychologist at a big hospital in Copenhagen.

In the same paper in a bigger article
we could read:

"WHO estimates that 25% of all women
once or more in their life are victims of sexual and/or marital character.
That is why in 1997 they requested the member countries to increase their
contribution in the health department. Danish doctors never learned about
sexual violence."

In Finland 40% of the women older than 15
years, 29% of girls younger than 15 years have been victims of physical or sexual
violence, 22% of the victims from their partner, 50% from a former partner and
24% from known or unknown men.

The sexual violence was experienced: 6%
from the partner, 19% from a former partner and 17% from other men. 14% were
sexually abused within the last year. Most of the women would rather ask family
advisers and health centres for help than the police.

In Iceland 25% of the women have experienced
violence, in Denmark 19%.

In Iceland 14% and in Denmark 9% were aggravated
by their partner.

Often the consequences are the same symptoms,
loss of confidence in their surroundings, another experience of reality. A lot
are also hit by depressions, fear, difficulties in sleeping and abdominal pains.
In Iceland the women told: 85% were more cautious/careful 40% had fear attacks,
40% had difficulties with relationships and 28% were hit by shame and 26% felt
guilty.

At a meeting in our National Women's Organisation
15th of March, Inger Agger, psychologist, talked about violence
against women: ... it means, that women can have a feeling of shame after a sexual
attack. "You have been impured", "You are no longer a real
woman". Concealment is a self-oppressive method to deal with the encroachment.
Later in her speech she says: "...you try to find a meaning to what happened
and find the answer only in your own behaviour. I could have not gone there,etc. You blame yourself."

From a meeting about Science in violence
and the consequences for health, in Project NORVOLD (Nordic Violence),
20th of April 1998, Janne Sander Knudsen, our chairwoman, quotes
Karin Helweg-Larsen for following results from the big research Flemming
Balvig have made in 95-96 in Denmark:

The risk for being a victim is 1,6%

- They haven't been asked about sexual violence.

- They haven't been asked about directly
violence from actual or former partner.

- 18% have reported the violence to the
police.

The Commissioner of Police mentioned
in their newspaper announcement in March 1998 about Professor Dr. Jur. Flemming
Balvig's results: A representative group (26.193 persons) have been interviewed
by telephone during 1995 and 1996. It is the biggest research in Denmark ever.
The people were between 16 and 74 years old. One of the remarkable results is
that, if you have once been a victim, your risk of being violated is bigger.
The more times you have been a victim, the bigger is the risk.

The dark-number, the violence that is not
reported is five times the number of reported violence. The dark-number is bigger
for violence against women at their working place and in their personal relationships.

In chapter nine, Conclusions it is
confirmed that the number of violent actions is falling a little, but the number
of reported violence has increased three times since 1977. 1/8 of the victims
have been victims in about half of the attacks. Two out of three women aged
16-29 years old who have been victims of violence from their partner are unemployed,
uneducated for their jobs and/or depending on money from the social security.

In 1991, 1.600 persons (men and women) were
interviewed because a group in the Ministry of Justice should research violence
against women. The results are written down by Else Christensen and Inger
Koch-Nielsen. On page 24, you can read a table that says that out of 792
victims only 127 had a high education, 195 were on pension or early retirement-payment
(but we don't know if any of them had their pension because of a disability).
On page 28 you can read that single women are more often targets of rape than
married women (and I'm sure, many disabled women live single).

Another report about rape in Denmark in
1990, 1991 and 1992 from the Commissioner of Police, also involving Professor
Dr. Jur. Flemming Balvig, tells about the victims, that more than 50% are
between 15 and 26 years old, 35% in education/school, 24% without a job and
6% are on pension, not caused by age (but could be a social pension, not necessarily
because of disability). Most of the 6% are very young girls.

In July 1997, Professor Dr. Jur. Flemming
Balvig wrote an article about Violence Nowadays starting with Van
Dyer's words "What you focus on, grows". In Denmark, we had
a lot of trouble with rival bikers, Hells Angels and Bandidos, so the media
and politicians focused a lot on "Violence" in general. Suddenly people
saw violence as one of the biggest threats to their lives or to society in general
- normally pollution, war and financial problems are bigger in people's minds.

Flemming Balvig says in this article, that
violence is not a bigger problem, but few crimes are specific brutal and are
given a lot of space in the newspapers and in television. What really grows
is the number of crimes reported to the police - also the crimes between partners.
Violence is bigger in our individual and our collective consciousness.

Flemming Balvig also points out that the
way the questions are put is very important for the result. If you ask open
or closed questions, you will get different answers from the same people. But
no matter how punctilious you ask you will not find the whole truth. The world
is far too complicated for that. Also the lack of memory gives divergences in
answers and actual truth.

People are no more as tolerant to bad behaviour
as they used to. It is "IN" to say "no!".

When violence grows in our consciousness
it implies the risk for fear and anger. Both feelings are healthy, but only
to a limited point. Beyond that the fear destroys our personal life and the
anger spoils our fellowship/community.

In Copenhagen, our capital, there
are about seven crisis-centres - none of them accessible for disabled women.
If a disabled woman calls one of these centres, they ask her to call the Social
all-day-and-night-"guard" and after that she is advised to go to a
hospital.

Copenhagen is lying on our biggest island.
Here you also find Helsingør. When I called different centres
in Denmark, I was told to call this centre, because one of the social workers
is in a wheelchair herself. But also here, it is difficult to go by wheelchair
- and they have had no enquires for at least two years.

In Århus, the second biggest
town, they are in a three-floor house. In the last year, one disabled woman
has called. Her son threatened her, but because she is blind and has a seeing-eye
dog , they had to tell her not to come. She got advised and helped (hopefully)
by telephone.

In Silkeborg they also have the centre
in an old house. If someone in a wheelchair would call, they would certainly
try to find a solution, but no one has called for around ten years. Only one
disabled woman, a woman with an artificial leg, has been in the centre within
that period.

In Nørresundby next to Aalborg
they every now and then help women who are deaf-blind (they have their school
in this town) like they help other women. It is important for the women to be
able to take care of themselves, but if the house were not in two levels, it
would be possible also for wheelchair-users to stay there - even those who have
private assistants. 10-12 years ago a woman in wheelchair called the centre.
They called nursing homes for old people and they found a room for the woman.

On Bornholm, our "isolated"
island, they broke the pattern. Here it is possible to come, also if you are
in a wheelchair. No physical disabled woman has called for some years, but every
now and then disabled women call the centre. Another mentally disabled person
at an institution attacked one of these women.

At all centres we have asked if they knew
somewhere where disabled women could go, and the result has been negative every
time.

We also asked specific therapists:

Hanne Klitgaard Larsen, a polio victim,
woman, wheelchair-user and art-depth-therapist: If you ask for coarse/rough
violence, I know of no such cases, but ignorance in personal relationships happens
every day. I have seen a lot of women with disabilities who have a low self
esteem, they accept bad behaviour from their boyfriends/husbands and stay with
them, because they depend on their physical help.

Anna Marie Buur, psychologist and supervisor
on a folk-high-school especially adapted for even severe disabled students:
My experience is, that a very young student with a disability at our school
is very humble to their personal helpers. They are not used to demanding
this or that. They excuse their existence. I have no cases for you about disabled
women, and I know nothing from my studies. My very personal suggestion is that
normally violent people would not attack weak persons, considering disabled
people as weak.

On the other hand, I could fear that the
group of disabled women with mental handicaps, those who are not clever and
quick, would be easy targets of talking into sexual affairs which I would consider
as sexual abuse - but I only guess about this.

About crisis in general I can tell
you, that any change in your life might put you in a risk-group of having stress.
Many changes, also the good ones, put together at the same time, nearly always
leads to crises. Many big changes/crisis gives their big depressive period about
11/2 year later - actually at a time, when none wants to listen to the problems
anymore.

An organisation, "Help victims"
tries to help in the whole country. But only those who report the crime to the
police can be helped by this organisation, it means, that many women are attacked
by their partner, but if you do not want to involve the police, you cannot get
helped by this organisation. In my opinion this is a big mistake. Especially
these women need all the help they can get. And a big help is to talk.

A. is a spastic woman, working in
the centre of Copenhagen, employed in a high position in the field of social
counselling. Some time ago, she was on her way home.

She comes out from the lift in her small
wheelchair and begins to place herself in her outdoors electric wheelchair like
always, which is placed in the foyer during her working day. An unknown man
is coming towards her and asks her if he can give her a hand.

She tells him thank you, but no, "I am
used to this and can do it myself."

But he does not go away. So she tells again;
- "I can manage, but thank you." He stays. Now she is asking him to leave
her - and he says OK - "but I will take this with me.", he says, trying
to steal her bag. She is fighting for her bag, which is hanging around her neck,
and she is screaming and tries to hit him. But, of course, he is too strong,
he gets her bag and takes two steps up where she cannot reach him from her wheelchair.
From there, he gets away.

Several people saw him waiting in the foyer
before this happened , therefore many people think that he was especially waiting
for her because he knew she was more vulnerable than other women.

B tells her story:

I was born with my disability, with 11/2 arms
and 11/2 legs. I walk OK on my artificial leg, and when I was a teenager, I went
dancing a lot, just like my friends.

One friend had a bigger brother, Peter,
whom I also started to call my bigger brother (I only have sisters and always
wanted a brother). Peter and I met frequently and had very good conversations,
we discussed politics and had a lot of deep talk. One evening I met Peter, it
was his birthday, and he had had a lot of alcohol and had been involved in a
fight. We sat talking for some hours, and then the dancing-place closed for
the night. We were in the middle of a discussion, and he suggested to me (for
the first time) to go with him to his home. We had known each other for some
months (I was new in town) and I was not sleepy, so why not?

That night I started to hate. He closed
the door, used the key and put it in his pocket. First he tried to convince
me to have sex with him. I told him, I was a virgin, afraid and not even in
love with him. He talked about having sex because it was his birthday, and he
started to force me. After two hours fighting back, I realised that I could
not avoid anymore. I closed my eyes and tried to relax as much as possible.

After he finished, I felt so humiliated,
I cried and just wanted to get away. But then he reminded me about the key in
his pocket and forced me to sleep next to him. I didn't rest much that night,
I kept on trembling, and I hated him for what he did.

Later Peter tried to continue our friendship
- with no luck. I never told anything to anybody. I neglected the problem and
only told Peter's wondering brother (who was still my friend), that Peter and
I were no longer friends. I could not bear the thought of involving friends,
calling police, or having a doctor to examine me, so I just waited quietly for
my next monthly period - it came, and I felt lucky, that I was not pregnant.

For years I tried very hard to get a nice
sexual experience to eliminate this first experience. It made me very confused
in my love life, I had a lot of short-period lovers.

I had this sexual debut when I was 17. When
I was 24, I met William. We fell in love, and after a few months I had to tell
him that although I used the pill, I was pregnant. I already had found out,
that I was not ready to be a mother, but I wanted to discuss it with him, and
I just told him, I was pregnant. He stopped listening to me and yelled at me,
that no one should trap him with a baby. If I did not get an abortion immediately,
he would start to hit me, and he for sure knew where to hit very hard. Do I
have to tell that I had my abortion with no support from William? He also told
me not to tell anything to our friends, and I was so convinced that he believed
he had been trapped by me, and I knew for sure that I had no forces to fight
him, so I kept quiet.

I grew older, fatter and I worked concentrating
on my organisation-work. Here I met D., a disabled man, who for some years fascinated
me a lot. Then we became working-partners and friends, and he flirted a lot
with me. I told him the truth: that I found him attractive, but was happy together
with my boyfriend and rather wanted to be friends than to continue our flirt.
It was OK with D. - until one night, when we arranged I could sleep in his house.
I worked hard this period, and he offered me some massage on my shoulders. Then
he forced me to have sex with him, and I got paralysed. This could simply not
happen. I recalled every minute with Peter, and the two of them became one.
I ran out of his home and found myself lying on the floor at our office, crying
and wondering.

Once again I thought about my situation.
And again I decided to keep it to myself. D. is a big personality in our organisation,
and I only saw two solutions: To quit organisation-work or try to talk it over
with D. I didn't want to quit, so I tried to tell him my feelings, my disappointment
and explain to him what happened that night, that I re-lived my first rape.
D. never understood me, and he continued trying to flirt with me. I haven't
seen him for years, and I have tried to forgive him and the other boys - hating
takes a lot of energy.

I told this last episode to my boyfriend,
without mentioning any name, and he got angry and disappointed at me. He never
really believed that I did not go to bed with D. spontaneously.

I grew up in an atmosphere, where men were
men and the head of the family. My mother was sick from I when was three years
old, she had cancer, and I always had the feeling that women are weak.

I think that explains some of my (missing)
reactions.

My biggest reaction might be lack of self-confidence.
I know, I have a lot of qualities, but I never find myself a natural part of
the party in a new group of people - unless in the groups of disabled, and even
here I have my doubts if I am "good enough".

I had a big depression four years ago, after
the episode with D, more than a year later, I think. I guess, what caused my
depression was, that a special program, trying to get me and 11 other disabled
a course and a job, didn't lead to a job for me. I talked to a psychologist
about my life, my parents, job-situation and so on, a monthly meeting for some
years, and last time I saw her, 11/2 years ago, I mentioned my rapes. She got
"scared" and said I didn't mention that before. I haven't had the
courage to go there again. I actually felt so good at that time, and could not
face a new period with talking, thinking, crying. I chose to go on with my life.
Now I find it stupid of me to quit.

It has been hard - but also good - to describe
this part of my life in writing. Thank you. B.

C. was born with her handicap. She
is educated as a Social Assistant and tells about violence in her marriage and
later on in the job. She uses a wheelchair because of polio.

Her parents were not very lucky, her father
yelled at and kicked her mother. Her mother was adopted, her adoption-parents
were not lucky. He used o lot of violence. C has bigger sister, who left
her first husband because of violence.

C. tells her story:

My job is a traditional job for people who
care for weak people, and I had a lot of clients with bad behaviour. What happened
could have happened to any of my colleagues. I just felt it stronger, because
I could not escape because of my wheelchair and the way the office was built
and arranged. I think also, that because of my background, my attitude asked
for being subdued by people.

Well, this first client wanted money for
his dog. He misused alcohol and drugs mixed together. He had the dog on a leash,
and the dog felt unsafe at my office. I had no possibility to pay my client
the money. He was aggressive and threatened me. He tried to hit me and asked
me when I would leave the office that day, because then he would blow up everything
at this stupid office. I spoke loud and clear, trying to convince the client
that he had to leave. Some colleagues heard my loud voice and came to the office.

The next days, I was afraid to go to work.
I hated to enter my office, and I was scared to leave the room again, not knowing
who waited outside the door. My reactions passed on to other clients. I had
to stop paying the rent for a client, her address was no longer in that flat,
and her boyfriend got upset and smashed me. The police got involved and told
this guy to keep away from me. I was considered 5% hurt, which didn't lead to
any amplified compensation (money) but I could see a psychologist 4 or 5 times.

For more than half a year I had terrible
nightmares, I dreamt that people tried to kill me, drown me or whatever.

They rebuilt and rearranged the offices,
the social workers now have a possibility to escape, and the colleagues can
follow the scene through a window. Later, when I finally got the custody for
my daughter, I had no longer this big fight to fight and I collapsed totally.
So I went to a therapist for some years to better my quality of life and learn
more about the real me and my situation.

I knew for sure that I was not good enough
for my father, when I was five years old. Some women we met in the street said
to my father, they pitied him because he had "such a child".
My father just said yes. Years later, when I was grown up, my father was seriously
ill. He refused to use a wheelchair, because it would signify "worthlessness"
to other people. Here I really felt bad about my own situation and his lack
of acceptance.

Well, I met my husband half a year before
we married. He sometimes drank a lot, but I thought he would quit after marrying.
He did not. We were not lucky because we got into this pattern: I could tell,
when he would go out drinking, and we started arguing, and he left home with
this words: "OK, I will go and drink, because you tell me to".

We never talked over what it is like to
have a life together with one person in a wheelchair. I continued going to school
and he finished his education but got no job. When I came home in the afternoon,
he left home to see his friends. Sometimes he said he would go shopping but
just left in my car with my money and did not show up until some time next day.
It was really bad when I got pregnant and we had our little girl. I sat there
with no napkins, no food, no nothing. I got scared for our life and our future.

The police showed up every now and then,
he broke into a house at a former girlfriend - he just wanted to see her - she
called the police. In this period he also tried to get to bed with my friends,
and the last half year in our marriage he got really violent.

One night, I got really afraid. He was very
drunk and psychotic in his behaviour. He gave me a black eye, and he tried to
strangle me with his bare hands. After that, I calmed down a few days and then
lived undercover with our daughter for three weeks.

My husband called my family and asked them
to ask me to come home. He suggested family therapy, and I agreed. I never really
believed it would save our marriage, but it might help us to be divorced in
a good way.

Immediately after I moved back, he wanted
to quit the therapy. I continued meeting in a group of women. I never said much
but listened to others stories (it took my thoughts away from my own situation).
But one day I found myself talking about my situation. Then my situation got
worse and worse.

When our daughter was two years, I had to
call the police one evening. He gave our daughter a big knife and told her to
bring it to me, so I could kill myself.

The police calmed him down, but refused
to take him - or me and our daughter - anywhere. I was afraid to be left alone
with him, but the police just left.

We agreed that I should take him and our
daughter to the train-station, so they could visit his mother for some days.
At the station, he refused to leave the car. He forced me to take them to the
ferryboat, and after that he forced me to take them all the way.

He sat behind my seat and controlled where
to put the seat. Sometimes I was in front, pressing the break totally, because
my leg is fixed to the break when I drive. Sometimes he took me backwards so
much, that I could reach none of the instruments.

Our daughter was two years old, but she
remembers that night and years after she asked, "why wouldn't daddy leave
the car that night when he was so angry and not satisfied."

This spring, 13 years old, my daughter had
her reaction. For 21/2 years she has had no contact with her father or her grandmother.
No cards or presents for birthday and Christmas.

She got passive in school, and has now gone
to a special therapy for children of alcoholics for half a year. She wanted
it herself, because she found herself very angry that alcohol took her father
away from her. She had a good result from this therapy, and she has improved
her schoolwork a lot.

I lost all my hair when I left my husband.
I tried to do what was best for our daughter and he got her. I have had her
since she was seven. It was rough to fight for her.

Boyfriends? No, I sometimes find myself
a lover, normally one who is already married. I will not get that involved again.
My life is OK as it is now.

I am sure that people meet because at least
one of them has to learn something from the other. I don't know where my former
husband or his mother is now, if they are alive or not. I feel sorry for him.
I can see no other way for him to behave. He was not born in Denmark but lived
with a foster-mother (who also has a disability).

I learned a lot about myself thanks to him.
I found more strength and power than I ever dreamt of having. He never learned
anything, poor thing. My problem is today recognising his attitudes in my daughter
and instead of getting upset learn to love these attitudes for being hers. C.

C. was about to go to a crisis-centre with her daughter,
but because of her wheelchair she could not go to the one near her mother.

In our society women still are affected
and endangered by a whole different facet of violence. These experiences extend
from verbal harassment and physical attacks to rape. Due to the legal situation
of every woman it still is hard to prove rape. It (the rape) is in the burden
of proof. Though statistics are not the basis of our work, it is alarming that
possibly every third woman has experiences of violence.

Disabled women are affected and endangered
by violence to an even higher degree than women without a disability. Up to
now there is no statistics on violence against women in the Federal Republic
of Germany.

During the last couple of years violence
against disabled women is being made an issue of disabled women in particular,
but as well of women without a disability. However, financial aids are not sufficient
by a long shot, and the situation of law offers - specially to mentally disabled
women - too few possibilities to take legal steps. Especially this group is
at the mercy of judicial power of definition, since the question is, to what
extent are they without resistance and have not been in the position respectively
- to agree to sexual contact out of their free will and having the necessary
information. Besides, women who are dependant on assistance in fields of personal
hygiene, and women who are under legal care are particularly endangered.

One major cause for sexual violence: Foiled
sexuality

Disabled women are regarded as neuters. A lot of times they
are confronted with the following statement: "You are never going to get
a man!' A partnership including lived-up sexuality nearly seems ruled out,
since disabled people are denied every kind of sexuality. Especially girls and
women are not perceived as having sexuality, but they are considered as asexual
beings. Correspondingly they often don't get any sex education and hardly know
anything about their body." (9)

The sexuality of disabled people is that
unclear and that unabsorbed in our society, that non-disabled "experts"
were presuming to publish a book titled "Können, dürfen, sollen Behinderte
heiraten? (Free translation "The question if disabled people are able to, may
and should marry?") in 1977.

Disabled people are either denied their sexuality or it
is mystified. It is repeatedly uttered that girls and women - in particular
with a mental disability - are physically urged. Therefore they have to be locked
up or sterilised "for their own protection". On the other hand they are denied
every kind of sexuality or sexual needs and going with that the right of a private
life. Compared to non-disabled girls and women, they are not regarded as adequate
partners, which creates the result that they feel confirmed as sexual partners
when being sexually exploited.

Something similar goes for girls and women,
who have not been born disabled, but have become disabled later. They have orientated
themselves in and competed with standards of society as not-disabled girls and
they could partly come up to them. The upbringing of girls always stresses a
personal hygiene/sexuality as spotless and flawless as possible; that did not
happen for the girls and women themselves, but in order to meet men's requirements
and expectations. Accordingly they later think that they have to be grateful,
when other people love them "despite their disability". They cannot imagine
(anymore) to be physically or sexually attractive to other people - above all
not-disabled ones.

Domestic Situation

Disabled girls and women are affected or
endangered by sexual violence in their domestic situation - at least as much
as not-disabled people. This applies in particular, if they either have to rely
on assistance in the field of personal hygiene or have legal care by a relative.

Because of their physical restrictions many
disabled women have to rely on assistance in the field of personal hygiene for
their whole lives. A lot of times those women are not even enabled to choose
the assisting person themselves. Provided that the money for assistance is disposed
to the women at all, they still have to fight a lot to get a female assistant.
The reason for that is that men doing community service (instead of military
service) are substantially cheaper.

At this point I would like to mention some
aspects concerning the socialisation of disabled girls, because I think causes
and connections of violence versus/and disability are recognisable here.

The Socialisation among the family: The
disabled girl becomes a disabled woman. The increasing possibilities of even
prenatally diagnosing a disability (prenatal diagnosis) seems letting disabilities
appear is an avoidable evil in this society.

Today it is suggested to many pregnant women
that they could exclude a disability of the child, if they would responsibly
take advantage of every possible kind of examination. Mothers, bearing a disabled
child nowadays, have to deal more and more frequently with the question, if
"this" would have been avoidable.

So the actual purpose is, to avoid the disability
by avoiding the disabled child with an abortion. The disability is not foiled,
but the disabled child.

For children living with an disability and
for their parents this way of thinking means that the disability - synonymously
with "the family's misfortune" - is moving into the foreground. The child will
not be perceived as a complete human being, but as a "problem child".

The otherwise usual joy about the birth
of a child is changing into sorrow. In their desperation parents are searching
for possibilities of cure and therapy as an damage limitation. E.g. the child's
defect should be eliminated as far as possible, so that the child can meet the
"standards" as good as possible. For the child's parents it is hard to not consider
the disability as an deficiency, but to accept it as a part belonging to their
child. They often develop extreme feelings of guilt towards their children,
because over and over again they have to face the question, if they have done
everything to avoid the disability or to reduce it to the smallest degree possible.
Furthermore they usually get absolutely insufficient information about their
own rights and those of their children. Responsibility increasingly is changing
in emphasis - from society to a private matter.

So it is taken for granted and expected of mothers of disabled
children that they put aside their own interests and needs. For example to give
up a profession and look for everything useful and supportive for their child.
The parents are feeling "burdened" with and by the disability.

This strain and the parents' mourning process
have influences on the disabled girls' feelings of being alive. So, the lives
of many disabled girls are marked with the feeling of causing grief to their
parents and of not matching their wishes and ideas. Even if boys go through
similar experiences, the emerging feelings of guilt are something rather specific
for girls. They themselves experience their disability as a "deficit", which
has to be given therapy on or be eliminated. For example, they are examined
on what is missing or on what they are not able to do. This has the result that
disabled girls and boys already very early pick up a negative body-consciousness,
which additionally is supported by the fact that they have to see a doctor or
be at the hospital more frequently than other children. Caused by the bunch
of special treatments like therapies, surgeries, etc., they get conveyed the
feeling 'something about me is not okay, I'm not right the way I am'".

A lot of times their experience - to consider
themselves incomplete - results in an understanding of their body as a worthless
object. Accordingly, for the girls it nearly is not possible at all to develop
a strong self-esteem. This process can lead up to the survival strategy of separating
oneself from one's own body.

In addition to discrimination which is experienced
by every girl, those discriminations against disabled girls, as described earlier,
have to be further counted. This means two forms of disparagement are combined
in a multiplying way, with major effects on the development of the self-esteem.

The "disabled" self-esteem impedes the dealing
with one's own sexuality and sexual feelings. This is one reason for the fact
that disabled women are at risk in particular, regarding sexual exploitation
among the family and in other close relationships. This aspect will be set out
in detail later.

Situations at institutions for disabled
people

Disabled people permanently experience that
non-disabled "experts" - on the basis of their education - allegedly know better
than the disabled themselves, what is good and alright for them and what is
not. Institutions for disabled people (schools, homes, workshops) are marked
by structural violence to a high degree.

The disabled people can't decide for themselves
about who does the wake-up and who helps doing personal hygiene; meal times
are given; a lot of times they can't decide with whom they would like to share
a room or who is entering it; leisure time activities permanently have to be
arranged and often are heterogamous.

Disabled people working at a workshop for the disabled (wanting
or having to), normally are advised to attend the workshop nearest to their
home. This applies in particular when they are dependent on a driving service
to get to work.

So they permanently have to adapt to the
conditions and are forced to arrange themselves and therefore have to put back
their own interests and needs. Since they already have this experience from
a very early age, they unconsciously think that the crossing of personal barriers
is (has to be) inextricably linked with their disability. A lot of times they
perceive sexual violence as "only" another crossing of personal barriers, against
which they cannot defend themselves.

If they develop a conscience for the fact
that the things done to them are wrong, it is very hard for them to ask for
help. It shows that it is quite a problem to consult a contact/related person
within the institution, because disabled people have to assume that the co-workers
get into a loyalty conflict. Who believes the co-workers are capable of such
things? A lot of times it is easier to simply not show belief in the affected
ones, in order not to jeopardise the daily routine within the institution. That
an employee under suspicion of sexual violence is dismissed is the absolute
exception. They would rather put up with the effort of forcing the female affected
to stand silently, or if need be to give her notice to quit her habitation.

In the meantime there are special offers
concerning sexuality in quite some institutions. These special offers also deal
with the subject "Sexual violence". Here it is becoming obvious time after time
that the openness merely refers to the women's' experiences of violence within
their families. When talking about violence within the institution, then only
about sexual violence between occupants. This form of violence is being encouraged
in most of the institutions for disabled people, since there are hardly any
institutions at all, where disabled women can live among women, if they want.
In most of the institutions there is no room where sexuality can be lived in
a usual manner. Since life in the institutions is marked by heterogeneity, for
the female occupiers it is nearly impossible to realise a right on self-determination
regarding sexuality and to call in such.

Extent of the problem in the states

To my knowledge, until now there is no representative
statistics in the Federal Republic of Germany about the extent of sexual violence
against women.

It is true that there was a study ordered
on the subject by the Federal Ministry; however it has not been analysed - or
that is to say the results have not been published, yet. It has to be said that
even if there were statistics it wouldn't be meaningful towards the actual extent
of sexual violence against disabled women. We have to start from the assumption
that the estimated number of unreported cases will remain very high. That is
because of the described dependencies of the women - on institutions as well
as on relatives. Furthermore we have to assume that if a survey was carried
out, particularly those women who are still living in their situation of violence
would not talk about this experience. The main reason for this is their fear
of the consequences.

Even if it is ensured that the people for
this survey are treated anonymously, it still requires a certain degree of trust
to be able to talk about this experience with anybody at all. This trust is
hardly ever given to strange/unknown interviewers.

Statistics giving a statement on the extent
of sexual violence is required neither for counselling - or supporting work
nor for political work.

Violence and disabled women: What are
the unusual features?

In order to show the unusual features, I
would like to outline the similarities, first.

A disabled survivor of sexual violence is
a survivor!

The perceiving results and survival strategies
of affected disabled girls or women are not different from those of non-disabled
girls and women.

Additionally it should be said that sexual
violence hardly ever comes from strangers, as with non-disabled girls and women
affected by sexual violence. In most cases the female and male perpetrators
come from nearby surroundings. The perpetrators are family members, friends
of the family, employees and co-workers at the institutions or roommates.

The disabled sexuality turns into sexual
exploitation

The crossing of personal frontiers, the pressure to adapt
and the experience of non-disabled people constantly deciding about their lives,
are so much a part of many disabled girls' and women's everyday lives, that
they can hardly perceive sexual violence and the crossing of personal frontiers
as injustice. The opportunity to have and be allowed to mention own interests
and needs despite their disability is taken way from them often.

For perpetrators it is even easier to put disabled girls
into a state of uncertainty and to assign guilt and responsibility to them.
It is easier to get them to believe that something is wrong with their emotions,
that the sexualised violence is some kind of love and that they should be grateful
that they are loved despite their disability and that somebody thinks of them
as sexually attractive.

Because of the self esteem - which is often low - together
with and the negative image of their own body, confusing feelings are often
extremely distinct for affected disabled people, in particular if violence is
exercised by perpetrators coming from the nearby social surroundings.

Signs and comments of surviving disabled
girls and women are not taken as an indication of sexual violence but they are
interpreted as a consequence of the disability. Having no distance ("Distanzlosigkeit")
or sexual overactivity are usually treated as symptoms of their disability,
for example particularly concerning survivors with a so-called mental disability.
So, for disabled women it is even more difficult to make themselves understood.

In this connection there is a common plea
for sterilisation. Though, in contrast to former times, sterilisation is not
possible automatically, it is still rather widespread. The Three-Month-Injection
(Dreimonatsspritze) is regarded as a fair alternative for disabled girls in
the course of their puberty, though it is usually declined by non-disabled girls
and women, because of the damaging side effects. A lot of times, for disabled
women, contraception is not a self-determined option, but rather a decision
made by other people: for or against them.

* A lot of times, it is the perpetrators
who have a major influence on this decision. If, for example a woman is under
legal care of her father he owns the sole right to decide if the three-month-injection
is prescribed permanently. If the perpetrator of the personal environment hasn't
influenced directly, he at least knows of the fact of this radical contraception.
He doesn't have to fear his uncovering and he is taking advantage of this circumstance.

Therefore disabled girls and women are perceived
as "certain victims" for various reasons. Of sexual exploitation affected girls
and women with a disability rarely have the opportunity to consult their mothers
for support, because of their mothers feeling of guilt. They are conveyed, due
to their disability, that their mothers are at their limits concerning their
ability to take stress. So the girls and women affected believe they must not
cause any additional problems.

* Another difficulty for these women and girls is that
they don't know where they can turn to for help.

Although a lot of time and effort has been
invested in the last few years, particularly by disabled women, to free the
subject "sexual exploitation " from taboos, disabled women and girls are still
affected and endangered by violence to a very high degree. But corresponding
refuges or shelters are hardly available.

Ways and possibilities of intervention
in the Federal Republic of Germany

There are still too few offers for counsel
and support for affected girls and women with a disability.

It is true, that in the last few years some
advice-centres were founded which work especially on the subject "sexual violence
against girls and women". These however do not offer special advice for disabled
girls and women. Many employees of these advice-centres do not feel capable
of dealing with this subject. To open general advice-centres for disabled girls
and women and to train the employees is difficult. Since for the biased support
of disabled women it is imperative to have a critical look at the subject "disability
" or at ones own image of humankind.

There have to be offers, which are featured
by unbureaucratic ways of entrance for disabled girls and women, which are not
specifically working on this subject but are open to it.

When people come to us, their motive is
hardly ever violence. But when the supporting person shows that she is open
for this, soon the affected ones start to talk about their experiences. This
has been revealed in the group for disabled women as well as in the meeting,
which takes place regularly for disabled girls, both offers of our advice-centre.
In these groups it emerged rather soon that participants were affected by sexual
violence.

The meetings were offered to disabled girls
and women, but not particularly on the subject of sexual violence.

In the announcement however, it was clearly put that sexual
violence could be a subject. Therefore there has to be widespread counsel and
supporting offers, where specific aspects as gender as well as disability are
appropriately taken into consideration. In this connection the active inclusion
of disabled experts is imperative.

It is necessary that disabled experts offer
further education for employees who work in institutions for women and girls
as well as for disabled people. Amongst the most important requirements for
non-disabled experts exists the need that they have extensive previous knowledge
about the life situation of disabled girls and women and also about the various
violence supporting structures of our society.

With knowledge of how frequent these girls
and women are declined the right to decide for themselves, what is just for
them, counsel and supporting offers should fundamentally begin with their abilities,
their strengths and needs as well supporting individual strategies of action
and ways of resolution.

Constantly it shows, that refuges for girls
and women, which are affected or endangered by violence are often unsuitable
for disabled girls and women. Also in this field exists an urgent requirement.
To put up affected girls and women in institutions for disabled people in mix-gender
connections is not an acceptable alternative.

Preventive work is an important aspect in this context.
As of date, there is hardly any material or concepts for this in the Federal
Republic of Germany.

Self-defence-courses belong to the preventive-measures
as well.

The suppliers of these courses should absolutely
meet the out-lined requirements.

To finance these courses constantly turns
out to be an enormous problem. However they are perceived as extremely effective
and necessary by the disabled girls and women who took part.

In conclusion, I want to stress, that the link-up of women,
who are working on the subject "sexual violence against disabled women" is absolutely
necessary to interchange and to work together on strategies of action. Therefore
many different local networks were founded by disabled women in various cities
of Germany as well as a national network.

A co-operation on national and international level makes
it additionally easier to bring this subject even more into the public and to
make perfectly plain, that this fact (that many disabled girls and women experienced
or still experience sexual violence) must be vigorously dealt with.

Sweden is by many regarded as a society in which there
is a relatively high degree of equality between women and men. This goes, for
instance, concerning women's representation in Government (50 per cent), in
Parliament (40 per cent), in County Councils (48 per cent) and in Municipalities
(41 per cent). Swedish women also have a relatively high employment rate (70
per cent) and thereby possibilities to support themselves. Both women and men
have possibilities to combine employment with parental and household responsibilities.

In many areas, however, there is a considerable
imbalance in the power relations between women and men. The most extreme example
of such an imbalance is the occurrence of men's violence against women. Despite
several measures, particularly in recent years, thousands of women in Sweden
are subjected to violence. Over the last decade, the number of reported assaults
and various forms of sexual offences has increased markedly. Often, these offences
are committed by a man who has a close relationship to the woman concerned (domestic
violence).

Violence against women is therefore an obstacle
to the ongoing development towards equality between women and men. Violence
against women is also a serious social problem. To take action against this
form of criminality is thus a task which has been declared by the government
to be given priority in the criminal justice system.

The Swedish government's Bill on legislative
provisions and other measures to counteract violence against women was submitted
to Parliament in February, 1998. A decision by Parliament was taken in May,
1998. The legislative changes entered into force on 1 July 1998, except the
prohibition on the purchase of sexual services, which will enter into force
on 1 January 1999. The Bill comprises, inter alia, new legislation, changes
in existing legislation, measures for more effective work within the police,
the prosecution and the social services and increased financial support to the
shelters.

One of the main parts in the Bill is the
introduction of a new offence in the Penal Code. The offence is called gross
violation of a woman's integrity. Its purpose is to deal with repeated male
violence towards women with whom they have a close relationship. The introduction
of the new offence will make it possible for the courts to substantially increase
the penal value for the acts committed against the woman, when the acts are
part of a process which constitutes a violation of integrity. It will be possible,
in a better way than with previous legislation, to take the entire situation
of the abused woman into account. The new crime does not exclude that the perpetrator
at the same time can be prosecuted, for instance, for rape or other gross crimes.

The new and more rigorous legislation includes:
the definition of rape is widened; neglect to report certain sexual crimes are
made punishable; purchase of sexual services is prohibited; social welfare legislation
is supplemented regarding help and support for victims of violence and general
guidelines for social work; increased punishment for genital mutilation; provisions
on sexual harassment in working life more rigorous; a gender-neutral language
in the Penal Code; a law commission on sexual offences is set up.

Among preventive measures can be mentioned
administrative collaboration, improved statistics, research, inventories, support
for certain voluntary organisations such as men's organisations, youth organisations,
and organisations working on behalf of immigrant and disabled women. Among improved
ways and means of supporting women victims can be mentioned a nation-wide further
training for professional groups, improved professional education, police training,
annual support to women's shelters, a crisis telephone line for women victims,
additional support to the National centre for battered and raped women.

The government released a special website
in order to inform about issues related to violence against women and about
the measures proposed in the Bill. The Division administrates the website for
Equality Affairs at the Ministry of Labour. The main part of the information
is in Swedish, but some material in English can be found.

Efforts to prevent and eliminate violence
against women have had high priority in Sweden in recent years and various measures
have been implemented to this end. They include preventive measures, stricter
penalties, procedural improvements and better support for women victims of violence.

Some milestones

1965 Rape in marriage is forbidden.

1982 Changes in the rules concerning prosecution for
battering and rape so that prosecution no longer is dependent on an accusation
being made by the person subjected to the offence. Anyone who receives information
about such an offence can report it to the police, thus marking that these
offences are not a private matter between the parties involved.

1984 Reformation of the sexual crimes in the Penal Code.
The definition of rape is widened to comprise also oral and anal intercourse
as well as intercourse between homosexuals. In addition, men can also be the
victims of rape committed by a female perpetrator. It is made clear that the
behaviour of the victim prior to the rape is irrelevant. The provisions concerning
procuring are strengthened.

1988 Law on Restraining orders is introduced in the Penal
code. This law has since been strengthened. The law is presently being subject
to an evaluation.

The Injured Party's Counsel Act is introduced. Under
this Act the victim of a crime of violence is entitled to free legal counsel
during police investigation and trial. In 1991 and 1994 the possibilities
of getting free legal aid was extended. The law is presently being subject
to an evaluation.

1991 Rules on sexual harassment in working life are introduced
in the Equal Opportunities Act.

A nation wide training of personnel in the judiciary,
the social services and the health care system is launched. The training,
with the purpose of increasing the knowledge on issues related to violence
against women - its causes and consequences, is given to approx. 20.000 persons.

Projects are launched for a better co-operation between
the police, the social services and other relevant parties at regional level.

Every police station in Sweden is equipped with so-called
alarm kits which can be given to threatened women free of charge. These kits
consist, inter alia, of alarm systems for the home, mobile telephones etc.

The possibility for severely threatened women to receive
bodyguards, free of charge, is introduced on a trial basis. This possibility
is now permanent.

A Chair in sociology - in particular violence against
women - is introduced at the university of Uppsala, north of Stockholm, financed
via the State budget.

1993 The punishment for battering, molestation, sexual
molestation and unlawful threat is increased.

1994 A National Centre for raped and abused women is
set up. The aim is to receive and treat women who are victims of abuse, rape
etc. and to contribute to a better treatment of such patients within the health
care system. This means that the Centre is also involved in development work,
in research and in training etc. The Centre is available around the clock.

1995 The punishment for gross sexual exploitation is
increased. The definition of sexual molestation is widened.

1998 The government presents a Bill to Parliament on
violence against women. The Bill comprises, inter alia, new legislation, changes
in existing legislation, measures for a more effective work within the police,
the prosecution and the social services and increased financial support to
the shelters.

Some citations from the Statement by the
State Secretary for Equality Affairs at the UN Commission on the Status of Women
in March 1998:

"To my Government, measures
to combat men's violence against women and to further support women victims
of such violence, is a top priority. Violence against women is the most
extreme example of imbalance in the power relations between women and men.
It stems from a notion of men's "right to" dominate women. As long as such
violence persists, gender equality does not prevail, neither in society
at large nor between individual women and men."

"Training is also essential.
As has been the case in many other countries, Swedish officials from the
justice system, the social services, the health and medical services, at
central, regional and local level, will now undergo a training on the causes
and consequences of violence against women. This nation-wide effort will
be financed over the national budget. We are also making changes in the
examination requirements so that those who study law, medicine, psychology,
social care, etc. must have studied gender issues and issues of violence
against women in order to get a degree."

"The important role of NGOs
cannot be enough underlined in this context. The work undertaken, for instance,
by the shelters is indispensable to the women victims and their children.
In Sweden, there are presently 131 such local shelters. They, as well as
their umbrella organisations, will now receive increased annual State support.
Also other NGOs who work, for example with young people and to improve the
situation of migrant and disabled women, will receive special funding. In
Sweden, men have begun to organise themselves in order to deal with and
discuss men's violence against women. There are also several crisis centres
for men at risk of becoming violent. Such NGOs are of course most welcome.
If men themselves do not act to prevent violence, how can we ever believe
that it will be eliminated? Men must take their due responsibility for the
achievement of gender equality."

The Project Women and Disability, which
started in 1988-89 in Sweden as a Cupertino project among women from many disability
organisations, had the purpose to "improve the situation for women with disabilities,
within various areas such as work, education, family, rehabilitation, recreation
and culture." The project aimed to show what actions are needed to improve
the quality of life for disabled women. The Project was the predecessor of the
Forum - Women and Disability, a new association established in 1997, which is
the Swedish partner of the Metis-project.

The issue of violence against disabled women
was one of the themes raised in the recommendations from the United nations
seminar on disabled women in August 1991, where the Project was represented.

The Project followed the discussions within
the United nations on the issue of violence against women through the report
from the Experts group meeting on violence in November 1991. In November 1992,
the Project participated in an international event organised by the Austrian
minister for women's issues, about violence and women with disabilities. The
event gave many valuable contacts to follow up.

The Project Women
and Disability has tried to assemble knowledge on the issue of violence
against women with disabilities and arranged several seminars: in March 1993
a Swiss psycho-therapist Aiha Zemp was invited as key note speaker to a seminar
in Stockholm. Aiha Zemps seven basic rules given to disabled women to prevent
violence: 1. Your body belongs to you. 2. Trust your feelings. 3. There is touching
which feels good and touching which feels bad. 4. Its OK to say NO. 5. There
are good and bad secrets. 6. Tell someone and ask for help when you need it.
7. Finally, the institutional structure must be examined to find out if the
violence is built into the structure itself or increases the probability of
violence.

During the 1993 seminar, a lawyer from FUB
(organisation of persons with mental impairments) reported that many assaults,
especially those occurring in institutions, are never reported. Also a representative
from Stockholm municipality and a representative from the Women's shelter -
association talked during the seminar, and wanted to know more about the issue
in order to be able to share their knowledge among their colleagues. A member
of the Project steering group wanted to stick a hole into the silence of the
double oppression where a disabled woman is reduced to a neuter and at the same
time being abused sexually.

In April 1993 the project organised a seminar
together with the umbrella organisation composed of the organisations of disabled
people in Sweden, and on the program was also discussions on the issue of violence
against women and girls with disabilities.

The Project participated in a big event
Nordic (Women's) Forum in August 1994 in Turku, Finland, and organised a seminar
on issues concerning violence. Several representatives from Swedish disability
organisations contributed to the program, as well as a person training and educating
personnel within health care.

In August 1996 the Project took part in
the European Conference for Disabled Women in Munich. Part of the conference
program focused on the issues of violence against women with disabilities, and
the recommendations from the conference included proposed actions.

The Project and the Forum Women and Disability
have developed contacts with the Women's shelter associations in Sweden, and
our representatives have contributed at some of their meetings. In June 1997
and July 1998 ROKS, the national shelter association organised a one-week camp
for women from the women's shelter association and women with disabilities.
The program included discussions on various aspects of violence and how to develop
one's defence capabilities.

The women at the ROKS-camp in 1998 put together the following
recommendations:

Meaningful work possibilities to all those who can work
instead of early retirement.

Yes to the proposed law against discrimination of disabled
persons in working life.

Scheduled habilitation and rehabilitation every year.

Respect our impairments and don't question our disabilities.
(Refers both to authority representatives and to people in general).

Change the patronising attitudes which are so common.
We do not want to be treated as children and patted on the head.

Improve the accessibility in the society. We want to
go to the post office, bank, library, cinema, and restaurants on the same
conditions as non-disabled people.

Do not worsen the law on special support and services
to disabled persons.

Never state that pornography and prostitution are needed
to see to the needs of disabled persons.

Give disabled women a possibility to attend courses in
self-defence.

In 1998, the Forum as well as the Swedish
Federation of the Deaf have both received a sum from the government to carry
out a project. The Deaf association will develop networking among immigrant
deaf women in Sweden, starting in Stockholm and Lund. The project of the Forum
is about interviewing women and assembling knowledge about the issue into a
book. The Forum has several additional project plans and is seeking sponsors
and financing for them. One of them is about a set of 20 photographs about the
beautiful sexuality of disabled women, to be taken by a well-known photographer.
Other concern participation in educational settings in the society and Co-operation
with police, judiciary, women's shelters, researchers etc.

The issue of violence has been one of the themes on the
agendas of the Nordic and Nordic-Baltic meetings of women with disabilities
and there will be a meeting in Norway on 6-8 of November 1998. It has been included
in the meetings in 1995 and in 1997. An action plan is being developed. Co-operation
with other organisations, more research, and awareness in society is asked for.

What is family violence?

Family violence, in this context, refers
to physical, psychological or sexual maltreatment, abuse or neglect of a woman
with disabilities by a relative or caregiver. It is a violation of trust and
an abuse of power in a relationship where a woman should have the right to absolute
safety. In many cases, it is also a crime.

Violence against women is acknowledged as
a pervasive and serious problem in the society today. Women are abused simply
because they are women. Statistics for the general population indicate the following:

One woman in four is sexually abused by the age of 16.

Two women in three are victims of unwanted sexual acts.

One woman in six is physically or sexually abused by
her husband, ex-husband or living-partner.

Over 60 % of female homicides are due to family violence
and 14,7% of women in the general population have disabilities.

In both the disabled and non-disabled communities, most
abuse in inflicted by a person known to the victim. In both communities, 95
% of victims of spousal assault are women, and at least 89 % of abusers are
men. More disabled men are abused than are non-disabled men. The incidents of
abuse is 20% or higher for mentally disabled and for deaf persons.

What makes women with disabilities particularly
vulnerable to family violence?

Probably the single biggest factor affecting
the incidence of family violence against women with disabilities is the size
concept of these women's families. Women with disabilities must often depend
on a variety of people to provide them with assistance in carrying out their
everyday lives. For this reason, their family is understood to include not only
parents, but also friends, neighbours and caregivers. Caregivers can include
attendants, interpreters, homemakers, drivers, doctors, nurses, teachers, social
workers, psychiatrists, therapists, counsellors, and personnel in hospitals
and other institutions. This large number of people and the intimate physical
and emotional contact involved in the care they provide, greatly increase the
risk of abuse to persons with disabilities.

Women who live in institutional settings,
and women who are multiply or profoundly disabled, are most vulnerable to abuse
because they are more dependent upon even larger numbers of people, and less
able to get away. It is estimated that women with disabilities are 1.5 to 10
times as likely to be abused as non-disabled women, depending on whether they
live in the community or in institutions.

While a disability can make it more difficult
for a woman to escape or report abuse, social attitudes towards persons with
disabilities are probably a bigger factor in her increased vulnerability to
violence. The way in which society views persons with disabilities handicaps
these women in many ways.

They tend to be viewed and treated as children, as lacking
intelligence.

They may be trained to be compliant and are sometimes
punished for assertiveness or for challenging authority figures. This is in
direct contrast to the street-proofing taught to many children in schools.

Women with disabilities are considered to be non-sexual
and are often not given sex-education, which can result in the inability to
distinguish between abusive behaviour and normal or necessary forms of touching.

They may be considered incompetent as witnesses by police
and the courts, particularly if they have difficulty or require assistance
in communicating, and when they report abuse, they may not be believed.

Women with disabilities are vulnerable at
all stages of their lives because they are women and because they have a disability.
Growing old increases the likelihood of becoming disabled, which can increase
the likelihood of abuse. It should be noted that abuse can result in disability.
Physical abuse can cause permanent physical damage. "Disciplining"
babies by shaking them is a major cause of brain injury and death in infants.
Women have cited violence by husbands as causing loss of vision, and loss of
mobility. All forms of abuse are emotionally traumatic and can leave psychological
scars from which a victim never recovers.

Research has only just begun in this area,
but indications are that women and children with disabilities are one of the
most highly victimised groups in our society.

Barriers to obtaining help. It is extremely difficult for
any abused woman to leave a situation of abuse. A woman is hit by a husband
or a partner an average of 35 times before she calls the police. Battering undermines
self-esteem and can make a woman feel she is somehow responsible for her own
abuse. For a woman with a disability, this situation is even more difficult.
She may be dependent on her abuser for affection, communication and financial,
physical and medical support. If she reports the abuse, she may risk poverty
and loss of housing and support. She may fear she will not be heard or believed
is she speaks out. She may face further violence, institutionalisation, or loss
of her children if she seeks help. She may not have access to information about
existing support services for victims of violence. Even if she has this information,
many sources of support may not be accessible. She may not be able to contact
the police or women's shelters because they do not have communication devices
as telecommunication devices for the deaf. She may not be able to physically
leave her situation because of a lack of accessible transportation. Her lack
of options may leave her feeling so powerless and despairing that suicide seems
the only viable choice. And if she seeks help in dealing with suicidal thoughts
or attempts, she is unlikely to find counselling which takes account of her
own reality. And so she is left isolated and possibly suicidal.

How can we work towards eliminating abuse.

Violence against vulnerable individuals
and groups is a systemic problem. Preventing family violence will require fundamental
changes in societal attitudes. People need to learn to appreciate differences,
to value other people as equals, and become responsible partners in our common
community. There are many changes needed to improve the present situation for
women with disabilities who are victims of violence.

Abusive behaviour needs to be acknowledged as a serious
social and in some cases criminal problem, rather than being considered a
private matter.

Protocols need to be developed for institutions to screen
potential employees and volunteers.

Protocols need to be developed to address the abuse that
occurs in institutional settings.

Community living alternatives need to be made available
for women with disabilities.

Courses need to be made accessible and available to women
with disabilities (in self-defence, assertiveness training, and sex education).

Appropriate suicide consoling which meets the special
needs of women with disabilities needs to be made available.

Transition houses and other existing support services
need to be made accessible, and frontline workers in shelter facilities need
to be sensitised to the needs of women with disabilities.

Women with disabilities need to be hired to provide this
training and to work in these centres and

Women in all communities need to work together develop
a co-ordinated approach to dealing with the abuse of all women.

The social impact that violence against
women has in Spain goes parallel with the growing number of attacks committed
and the coverage media gives them. This social echo has broken the private sphere
of the isolated event suffered by women in silence favouring a situation so
that society has started to consider it an aggression against itself. As an
attack to societies' dignity, against its capacity of response to an aggression
against some of its members. This sort of collective "awareness" is
just the statement of something known to all and which has always existed; the
major degree of violence women have always suffered because of being women,
and by living under patterns of masculine domination. The high number of cases
published in the media, though they are not scientifically feasible, are by
all means markers of reality. A reality that tends to be hidden by the victims,
and one of the few existing elements to bear in mind when analysing this subject.

The data available in Spain is very scarce,
due to the low number of reports. Woman organisations and the Ministry of Interior
talk of a number of reports of approximately from 5 to 10% of the real amount
of attacks that actually take place. Statistics reveal that between 35% and
40% of the women that live with their partner suffer physical or psychological
maltreatment from their male partner. Which means that if we consider the low
number of reports, we are talking of thousands of women coping with violent
situations.

According to the 5th Opinion
Barometer, carried out in January of 1998, for the Peoples' Valiant, 18% of
Spain's population over the age of 18, (that is, about five and a half million
people) say they know of some case, among their relatives or friends, of maltreatment
of women from their partner

The fear of reporting is justified, when
we face the fact that 98% of the women attacked and killed in Spain, had reported
maltreatment, and were separated or going through divorce.

Nevertheless, prevention, legislative and penal measures
rarely go in accordance with the petitions of actions and justice society demands.
It is now that the first steps are being taken in the form of laws, recommendations,
specific plans of actions, etc. In 1984, the Public Administration gave a shy
answer by publishing the first figures of reports of women attacked. It was
seconded by the creation of the Human Rights Commission in the Senate, which
issued a report in 1989. Since then, to this day, some attention and support
measures have been carried out, such as setting up Shelter Homes in almost every
Autonomous Community; and the creation in 1986, of the Woman's Attention Service.
Dependent of the National Police force, which collects reports of maltreatment
against woman, and has them sent to court. (10)

The People's Valiant has recently published
a report, on domestic violence against women, which includes a draft of the
present state of things in Spain.

In it, we can find certain bits of information
that illustrate the situation, such as the number of yearly reports:

YEAR REPORTS

1994

13,547

1995

13,278

1996

13,198

1997

24,641

As we can see in this document, reports
of psychic and physical maltreatment have grown between 1990 and 1996. They
have passed the rate of 329 per each million women, in the first of these years,
to 353 in 1996. This represents an increase of 7.28%.

The increase of reports of psychic maltreatment
is higher than that of physical maltreatment. In absolute terms we have passed
from 4.250 to 5.105, that is, in 1996 the number of reports was 20,12% higher
than in 1990.

The METIS project.

When trying to define exactly the situation
of women with some disability and that have been subjects of violence actions
in Spain, the scarce indicators available reveal a great darkness a priori -
that being the little attention the matter has aroused.

Carrying out the Metis project in 1998 allowed
for investigation in information and cases related with violence and disabled
women. The aim was to gather and describe situations that were seen as an infringement
of individual rights, in relation with all aspects of personal development and
autonomy.

Actions were carried out to divulge and
bring awareness to those aspects in the daily life of a disabled woman that
are product of discriminative situations which violate their individual rights.
The information gathered was structured in such a way that it could be passed
over to interested parties, such as professionals, administrative personnel,
relatives, disabled associations, women's associations, and of course to the
victims themselves.

The paths used to divulge and the information
were of various types;

Dissemination guides.

Electronic dissemination.

WebPages, collecting all the aspects
that can be spread through WWW.

A discussion forum through WWW, which
allowed for the gathering of comments and contributions about the subject from
different countries.

The results obtained by this project, and the opinions thrown
into its discussion forum are both constitutive parts of this report, (11) because
they were both important tools to open research paths on the topic. In this
way, one of the negative results, though expected, was the lack of data. When
I referred before to the number of maltreatment to women in Spain, it was impossible
to know how many disabled women were included in those figures. This variable
hasn't been taken into account. The not differentiating the quantitative research
into sexes, when dealing with disability, is a habitual practice. This information
is broken down only in some occasions, such as medical statistics or welfare
payments where women do appear as countable and differentiated elements.

I must then suppose that due to the circumstances
that surround these women and by the lack of information gathered at assessing
and information points, that very few disabled women go to court to denounce
maltreatment. In the same way, few or none of them live or have received attention
in Shelter Houses. Moreover, when these services are orientated to those women
who suffer maltreatment from their partners, while in general, disabled women
suffer abuse from their caregivers, parents, and neighbours, i.e. from those
they depend on.

"During the time of the interviews
I find out that 9 of 10 women have been, in some way, exposed to violence.
This includes sexual violence.

I have talked to different women's
shelters and found out that not one shelter in Stockholm can take a woman
in a wheelchair inside for protection. They have no way to go. No place
to hide! This is a big problem." Gunilla Hårdberg

The METIS project has also allowed us a
general view of the state of affairs in Spain, and we have confirmed that each
and every woman that took part in the Discussion forum through WWW admitted
that she, or a woman she knew, had at some time of her life suffered abuse or
maltreatment. This contrasts again, with the lack of reports or references in
the official and private documents consulted.

Another verified fact is the lack of interest
and special treatment this topic is given by representative organisations of
this collective and the complete ignorance which woman's movements have regarding
violence against disabled women. The same can be said about public organisms
in charge of dealing with this topic and of promoting actions; none of them
included references of disabled women. But at the same time, we found a growing
interest in all of them in gaining more knowledge.

When trying to make this problem evident, we meet comprehension
difficulties in the receptors. Many believe that dealing with the subject of
violence in relation with gender is not an adequate approach in the case of
violence against disabled women. They base their arguments on the fact that
this collective has greater general problems to be solved that affect both men
and women. And find no need to create subgroups or dedicate specific attention
to specific problems. In the case of sharing this point of view, an agreement
on what general problems should be considered specific to women would have to
be reached, as we make up more than 50% of Spain's population.
(12)

Even so, I do not share this way of "not
understanding" a problem. The search for solutions to a general problem
goes through the understanding and knowledge of many micro-manifestations of
it. Not following these thought paths means that one is not really looking for
a solution. The different shapes discrimination takes against the disabled collective
increase when those persons are women. Among them are the abuse and violence
which base their existence on sex and disability.

Discrimination based on disability propitiates
a series of violent acts that turn into more repeated and marked actions in
disabled women because of being women and disabled. These actions that emerge
from a situation of social underestimation have a lot to do with the violation
of human rights. They acquire a different status, if, on the other hand, we
limit them to within a private and domestic ambit or of criminal character.

"Yes, that's the trouble when speaking
of violence and disabled persons. The forms of discrimination that end up
generating psychic, physical and emotional violence often enter in the sphere
of violation of human rights. And I am convinced that these actions take
place mainly against disabled women. It is difficult to quantify the number
of victims, because these acts of discrimination have not been considered
beforehand as violent acts that produce pain.

At first sight, it could seem as
if the difference stands between what we could focus as "discrimination"
and on the other hand "directlyinflicted violence"
beating, shouting) with direct consequences on health and on the integrity
of the victim. I am not trying to give definitions but to point out what's
on script. If we exclude thieves and assassins, who do not choose the victim
by acquaintance, but by what they can obtain., and all that comes from discrimination;
we are left with relatives and acquaintances. I personally believe that
violence between two people appearswhen words disappear, and impotence
emerges, or authoritarianism, which is one form of how impotence is practised.

If the topic in question is violence
against disabled women, we are choosing, discriminating, limiting, and putting
boundaries to population. Though it may seem a circular reasoning with no
exit, I believe that the reason why we question violence against the members
of this group is that we think that they suffer "particular"
acts of violence. It is impossible to remove this violence from the concept
of discrimination". Gonzalo Dupuy

Another substantial difference with violence
against women is that the aggressors of disabled women have a more frequent
link with the relation of dependence than with family or marriage relations.
According to American and Canadian studies, the aggressors are the mother or
father of the disabled women, followed by the caregivers, doctors, boyfriends,
ex-boyfriends, brothers, uncles, and grandparents

"Abusers see us, women with disabilities,
as being vulnerable and isolated. They will often prey on women with disabilities
due to the societal and cultural illusions and stereotypes surrounding us.

One of the abuser's techniques is
isolation. If women with disabilities are prevented from access to health
care, counselling services, domestic violence, shelters, police stations,
or hospitals due to a physical access problem, then, yes, the abuser sees
a woman with a disability as easier to isolate. If there is a shortage of
accessible apartments in my city, then I am more isolated." Judith
Routh

Disabled women lose all the attributes of
their sex regarding beauty, sensuality, the myths of childbirth, etc.., but
they keep all those which bring women closer to service to others; slavery,
and dependence.. This "category" of being favours abuse in the mind
of the aggressor, because it frees him of feelings.

"I understand that maltreatment can
be physical, psychic and educational, but I would like to add a group of
aggressors, that haven't been stated yet; that of sons and daughters.

When a woman becomes disabled, it
is difficult to continue carrying out the roles assigned as a wife, daughter,
and above all as a mother. One must cope with children's education, under
obvious dependence and inferiority. It grows even harder when they become
adolescents, as during this period they neglect parent's authority. And
of course it is easy for them to disobey, and to not do their duties. A
disabled mother depends physically upon her children, its as if the baby
wants to impose on the autonomous."

"In my work, I see this all the time.
And I also see the insensitivity of the social service agencies. My clients
are not only victimised by the abuser, but they are re-victimised by the
doctors, advocates, social workers, etc.

We definitely need to talk about
this topic. I do training for social service providers, law enforcement,
centres for indep. living, doctors, hospitals, etc. There is a vast need
for discussion and action on this topic. Thanks." Judith Routh

As time goes by we become more and more
aware that habitual acts such as rejecting our body, involuntary sterilisation,
neglecting motherhood, minor professional qualification, lack of basic education,
physical and sexual abuse.., are violent acts that question and violate fundamental
rights. . Fortunately, something seems to be changing in this dark panorama.
The concept and practice of violence against women is migrating from minor conceptions,
which limited it to the ambit of private life, to considering it a social problem
and an attack against people's dignity. At the same time, we disabled women
feel the need to speak for ourselves and point out a series of circumstances
that form part of our lives and that we believe are in the ambit of what is
understood as "violence" and "violation of human rights".

Many disabled women see themselves as subjects of maltreatment
and abuse, while society ignores the problem.

Many disabled women do not see themselves subjects of
violence, because they consider these situations habitual in their lives and
associated with disability.

Disability is a risk factor when suffering abuse and
maltreatment situations, which added to the fact of being a woman, increases
the risk to higher rates than those of the violence suffered by women in general.

Women with sensorial, learning, and communication problems,
are more likely to suffer abuse and violence.

Not having the traditional female roles assigned contributes
to lower self-esteem and increases vulnerability, elements that favour becoming
an object of violence.

Violence against disabled women shares common characteristics
with the female collective, but has specific characteristics as well.

Most professionals in charge of counselling and interventions
in maltreatment to women ignore that many disabled women are in the same situation.
Either because information does not reach them, or because they do not typify
as violent acts those they believe associated to disability.

Depending on others to cope in daily life increases the
risk of being objects of violent actions. This risk is believed lower when
personal assistance is given with former professional training and psychological
aptitude.

Violence against disabled women has more to do with the
fact it is considered an extenuating circumstance that these actions are perpetrated
against "a faulty being", than on using a woman's body as a demonstration
of power and control.

(1) The report from the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 15th of September 1995.

(2) In Canada more than a million women have disabilities, 670.000of them have been sexually or physically abused before reaching puberty. (Twice more the number of non-disabled women) and 330.000 have suffered physical sexual aggressions as adults (one of every three, versus one of every four in non-disabled women). Disabled Women's Network (DAWN), Toronto, 1995

(3) A study carried out by Griffith University in U.S.A confirms the existence of a major frequency in attacks against disabled population versus non-disabled. The rate varies from two to five times more. Another American study found that 67% of the women with disabilities suffered abuse versus 34% of non-disabled. In the same way the rates in disabled children in the States is 17 times more than in non-disabled.

(5) Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), General Recommendation 19, 1992

(6) Resolution A-44/86; on "Aggressions against Women". 1986

(7) "Manifesto of European Disabled Women" European Disability Forum, 1998

(8) We read about this specific centre in other newspapers in the spring, and have seen nothing about it since. We called the hospital in Copenhagen-area in September, they have no centre and know nothing about what happened to the plans.

European Commission, (1998), "Employment
and people with disabilities" - Report of the special meeting of the High-Level
Group on Disability, Brussels, 15-October, 1997, European Commission, Directorate-General
for Employment, Industrial Relations and Social Affaires, Unit V/E.4, Luxembourg.

To the members of METIS Forum for their
qualified contributions, some of them expressed here.

This report was elaborated by the

Association "INITIATIVES AND SOCIAL STUDIES
"(I.E.S) as part of the actions developed within the frame of the METIS project.
This project was carried out under the shelter of the DAPHNE Initiative of the
European Commission